First Day
by samantilles
Summary: Eleven-year-old Daniel starts high school at St. Antholians, which may prove to be the answers to his prayers. Part Seven of the Young Daniel Series.
1. Expectations

This story is ideally part six of a outlined 25 part series dubbed so creatively as "The Young Daniel Series." It takes place on the first day of his freshman year of High School. In this tale, we begin by spending Daniel's first day of high school with him. We all remember what that was like, I for one was terrified. Actually, we'll be spending the first two days with Daniel with the seventh part of the series, _The Day After_. Like the previous story, _Finding out about St. Antholian's_, this story sets up a lot of the future stories, so it is full of characterization and setting the scene. We meet specifically four characters that will be involved throughout the rest of the series and provide a large base for stability in Daniel's life: Headmaster Thomas, Mrs. Sally McPherson, the school secretary, Professor Baird, the tough Lit teacher, and Rocco Sabitini, Daniel's driver. I promise though we get plenty of angsty and hurt/comfort goodness coming up soon!! I just have to edit them into proper English, not just my own semi-coherent outlines.

The series is designed to take us through Daniel's life in foster care, from age eight until his emancipation at age sixteen. The series will focus more on Daniel's education and personal development through those years. Each story or set of stories in this series are designed to be individualized vignettes. They blend together in that they frequently refer back to items or people first introduced earlier in the timeline. However, I have started writing the series out of sequence, and so for now new characters or items will be introduced when needed and will be edited back out later as appropriate. A meta on Daniel's development (as I see it) and an outline for the series can be found (as soon as its added) at my personal writing journal at LiveJournal, the community username "quaintdiversion".

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Disclaimer: Don't own Daniel as a character, kinda wish I did. Daniel, Claire, and Melbourne Jackson belong to Gekko, RDA, and a few other really rich people.

Title: First Day  
Series: The Young Daniel Series  
Author: samantilles  
Word Count: 6559  
Characters: Daniel Jackson, age eleven  
Categories: angst, hurt/comfort, family (for the series)

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Daniel stared up at the antiquated spire that loomed over him. Beside him, Mrs. Johnson, his caseworker, slowly pushed him forward up the marble stairs to the front door of St. Antholian's School. Caught in a hurricane of emotions, the young boy trepidly entered the grand hallway and began the long journey to the headmaster's office. The bell rang and students of all ages flashed past him racing towards classrooms; all were decked in the same crimson suit and khaki pants as he. A small smile betrayed his stoic face as he realized that he would no longer be made fun of because of his second hand clothes. He instinctively averted his eyes and began to fidget on the hard wooden bench. "You really don't have to stay Mrs. Johnson," Daniel quietly murmured, "I know you've got a busy schedule."

Mrs. Johnson stared down at the meek boy. "Hush child, no need to drive me away so quickly! Besides, I've got to meet with the headmaster myself. This is not a normal situation for children in the foster care system, Daniel. That your grandfather set all this up for you is truly a privilege for you. I think this is exactly what you need my dear." She ruffled his floppy hair a bit and scooted just an inch closer to wrap her arm around the eleven year old.

"Mr. Jackson? Mrs. Johnson?" the secretary called doubtfully. "Headmaster Thomas is ready for you."

"Come on dear," Mrs. Johnson strained to get up off the very uncomfortable bench, waiting for Daniel to gather his backpack. "Everything will be wonderful, just you see!" Daniel wondered at the truth of that statement. The past three years of public school has been anything but wonderful. He knew his teachers didn't know what to do with him. The kids in his grade knew what to do with him though; on more than one occasion Daniel ended up in the hospital because he was such an easy target. Being three years younger than the other students in his grade, he did not have the physical size to take on one, let alone several larger boys. He was never in one school long enough to make friends, just enemies. He hoped St. Antholian's was the answer to his prayers: a school he didn't leave after three months with students with which he could become friends and teachers who would actually challenge him. His prayers never included uniforms, but for Daniel, it was an unexpected benefit; it was one less problem with which to deal. Just before turning into the spacious Headmaster's office, he caught a faint shout. "Bobby Jensen, you put that tie on straight right now, or its detention after school!" Daniel's hand quickly checked that his own tie was knotted and smooth.

The headmaster's office was ornate, its wooden hues the opposite of the stainless steel Daniel was used to in public schools. Mr. Thomas towered over Daniel, his peppered hair and horn rim glasses gave him a scholarly look. Neither Mrs. Johnson nor Daniel was accorded a smile from Mr. Thomas, just an expression of sternness and expectation. Mrs. Johnson guided Daniel to one of the two leather chairs facing the large mahogany desk.

"Mr. Jackson, let me be the first to welcome you to St. Antholian's. I am sure that you will find this school challenging and rewarding with proper study and effort. St. Antholian's has one of the most demanding curriculums in the country, but when you graduate from here, the opportunities are endless for you, son. I'll go further into detail in a few minutes after I have a conversation with Mrs. Johnson about your special circumstances and prior arrangements made with your grandfather, Dr. Ballard. Mrs. McPherson, the secretary, will talk with you about our attendance policy while I chat with Mrs. Johnson." Mr. Thomas made a dismissal motion to Daniel, who quickly excused himself and met up with Mrs. McPherson.

"So, you must be Daniel!" Mrs. McPherson startled the boy as he walked out of the office.

"Y-yes, ma'am." Mrs. McPherson had this look of compassion and kindness in her, Daniel thought. He immediately trusted her, and even attempted a genuine smile despite his jittering nerves.

"I'm Mrs. McPherson, the school secretary. I've heard quite a bit about you, young sir. I've held several conversations with your grandfather during your admission process. He's told me so much about you!" Daniel dropped his head and disengaged eye contact with the stout woman. Sensing a bit of discomfort, Mrs. McPherson suddenly changed topics. "So, Mr. Jackson, has Mrs. Johnson talked to you yet about how you're going to get here yet?" She flashed out a stack of papers and took a seat in a chintz chair next to Daniel. He remained quiet and observant, meekly shaking his head in response. "Okay, then. Well, Mr. Jackson, I know all about your current foster care arrangement, and I know that it's difficult sometimes for you to stay in one place for very long." She noticed that he didn't raise his head; the sudden somber posture the boy took was an affirmation of her statement. "So, you're grandfather has made arrangements for you to be picked up by a car service every morning from wherever you are to make it here. So there should be no excuse for you to be late to school, you understand?" Mrs. McPherson took a stern tone. She never appreciated tardiness in her students. "If for any reason, the driver does not get you here on time, he will report so to me. He will report also if you are late getting out of the house on time. You have to be responsible with this, Mr. Jackson. But I also know traffic problems are not your fault. Believe me when I tell you I will know when tardiness is your fault and when it is not."

"Yes, ma'am." Daniel nodded his head and met her gaze for a moment before returning his stare to his folded hands in his lap.

"What do you go by, Mr. Jackson? Do you prefer Danny, Dan, Daniel? Or should..." Daniel cut her off with his immediate response. "Just Daniel. I don't like to be called Danny." He immediately regretted being curt with her. Only two people could call him Danny. She meant well, he knew. The wound was just still too fresh.

"Very well then, Daniel," Mrs. McPherson choked with empathy for the child, "I also know about the problems you had in public school." The office stood quietly for several minutes. Daniel could not meet her eyes this time. He thought he could hear a bit of Mrs. Johnson's conversation with Headmaster Thomas in the next room. She was talking about his current foster parents. "Daniel?" Mrs. McPherson drove Daniel out of his concentration. He nodded for her to continue. "We have a very strict code of discipline here at St. Antholian's. You don't have to fear your classmates, Daniel. No one will physically harm you while you're a student here." She bent her head down, trying to meet his averted eyes. She took his chin in her cupped hands and made him look at her. "I need you to promise me that if anyone physically harms you, whether they're from here or at home, you will tell me at once, okay?" Daniel closed his eyes and nodded forcibly, moving her hand while it cupped his chin. She brought her face closer to his head and whispered. "Daniel, there's a candy dish over there on my desk. Be a good boy and get two pieces. We'll each have a piece while waiting for the headmaster." He quickly stood up and made his way to Mrs. McPherson's desk. She had a small crystal bowl full of lemon drops. He retrieved exactly two and stepped up his pace back to the sitting secretary. She thanked Daniel for retrieving the treat, and quickly opened the wrapper and popped the candy in, a guilty smile drawn across her face. Daniel's face smiled as he puckered with the lemon drop in response.

Just as the lemon drop dissolved into a tiny sliver, Daniel summoned up enough courage to ask a question. "Mrs. McPherson, you said that a driver would bring me to school everyday." The kind lady nodded in agreement, but allowed the boy to continue uninterrupted. "But you never said how I'm supposed to get home every night."

Mrs. McPherson stood with a smirk on her face as she regarded the young freshman. She started to get an idea of why this little eleven year old was so advanced in his classes. "Well, Mr. Jackson, that is a very good question. Your driver will also be by in the evening to pick you up. But!" She raised her finger in the air, "while classes end in the early afternoon, each student is required to participate in extra-curricular activities and sports, so once you and Headmaster Thomas decide on those activities, we'll work out the evening schedule with your driver."

Just as she finished a subdued buzzer rang out and Mr. Thomas's voice echoed throughout the front office. "Mrs. McPherson, please take Mr. Jackson to room 217 for his first class with Professor Baird. Mr. Jackson's appointment with me has moved to third period." With finality the connection was ended and the room was silent again.

"Well, our little chat must come to an end, little one. But, before I forget…" She trailed off back to her desk, retrieving a rather large tan leather satchel. "A proper book bag. Every freshman is provided one, each with their name embossed along the front." She gleamed happily. Daniel took the satchel, grazing his hand over his imprinted name. The school's name was also embossed above in regal lettering. Inside, he found that all the basic school supplies he might need were already included from notebooks to pencils. He thanked her for the bag; she smiled back at him and ruffled his hair, subtly directing him to the front door. The hallway was grand and encased in ornate banisters and wooden decorations. Large trophy cases outlined the history of the school and displayed just a fraction of its successes. Daniel had but just a passing glance as he and Mrs. McPherson nearly cantered through the hallway to the staircase. A bell rang and within moments, other students were bombarding the staircase, forcing Daniel to huddle closer to Mrs. McPherson.

"Did I miss a class already?" Daniel queried as they reached his destination.

With a smile, Mrs. McPherson responded. "No, the first bell you heard this morning was for Morning Study Hall. This time is necessary to allow teachers to take full attendance and deliver any important messages for the student body. It also gives students just a couple more minutes to finish that homework they didn't do so they could play outside." She winked at him. But she didn't know Daniel never played outside with other kids. His homework would be done before he stepped into the school in the morning. He was confident about that.


	2. Professor Baird

The faces he received just reinforced the fact that this school wasn't totally unlike his previous. The glowering faces of high school freshmen gave a distinct impression, one that wasn't lost on young Daniel. Who the hell does he think he is? Look at the runt! He must be lost! The students didn't need to say any such epithets for Daniel to know what they were thinking. His stomach jittered a bit; it sensed another beating was soon on its way. Every September he ended up visiting the emergency room at least once. Why would this be any different? Mrs. McPherson promised it would be.

"You must be Mr. Jackson. I've already assigned seats. You're right there in the front." Mr. Baird peered at the young scholar above his reading glasses and pointed towards the empty desk. As Daniel shifted into the seat, a small paperback was dropped in front of him. "Consider this your official welcome to Freshman Literature. This class is not like your reading classes in the younger grades. I expect serious and pensive responses to the books you will be reading this year, and anything short of this will be met with a less than satisfactory grade. By the time you graduate from St. Antholian's, each and every one of you will be considered well read by even the most serious of scholars. The next four years will be challenging, and good foundations learned now will better prepare you for future years. As such, I fully expect every assignment to be completed on time, and each one of you prepared for every class. Otherwise, I believe time in detention will be necessary. Have I made myself clear?" A murmured affirmative expelled from the student body. "Very well. We will be covering classical Greek and Roman texts for the first quarter. We will begin with Sophocles' _Antigone_."

As Professor Baird began a monotonous lecture on Sophocles, Daniel took an interest in the paperback in front of him. He had actually not read _Antigone_, though he had of course learned a bit about Sophocles when he spent the summer of his fifth birthday in Greece with his parents. He imagined his mother reading Sophocles in the original Greek; she had been classically trained in the Greek language. She had to have read this. That thought gave Daniel a bit of hope, a chance to connect with the parents he didn't have the chance to know as well as he wanted.

"Mr. Jackson." Daniel was too caught up skimming through the short book to notice that he was being called. "Mr. Jackson!" Daniel snapped his head up to the blackboard. "A word before you leave." Daniel swerved his head around to notice that students were already leaving the classroom. The bell must have rung.

"Of course, sir. Sorry." Daniel quickly and quietly made his way to Professor Baird's desk.

"So, Mr. Jackson, I hear you're quite a wunderkind. You've only got five minutes until your next class, so I'll be quick. I'm demanding the same intensity in your work, as I am the rest of these students. Don't think that I'll give you any slack because you're several years younger. Prove to me that you belong in my class. You are dismissed, Mr. Jackson." Mr. Baird's face was serious but not angry. Daniel at once knew that he might learn a great deal from this class, he even might be challenged.

Daniel began to walk out of the classroom when he turned back. "Professor Baird, I'm afraid I have no idea where to go from here. I've not yet been given my schedule." To Daniel's surprise, Mr. Baird smiled back at him. He quickly picked up the phone on his desk and connected with the front office.

"Mr. Jackson, you've lucked out. You're next class is right down the hallway. Room 225." Daniel nodded and shifted to leave. "Mr. Jackson?" Baird's eyebrows arched slightly as the young student turned around once more. "Good luck today." Daniel couldn't help but return with a smile before quickly removing himself from the classroom.

His second period class was Catechism, which, while his "agnostic-but-lets-not-take-a-chance" father had baptized him Catholic, was not a topic he had much encountered. The class seemed dull and merely required rote memorization. Sister Mary Ignatius also seemed to be the source of the dullness. She assumed no one in her class had read the Bible, even if almost all of the students had been at St. Antholian's since the first grade and had certainly read the Holy Scriptures many times throughout their education. Daniel was at least not behind by her standards.

Daniel was surprised to see Mrs. McPherson waiting for him outside the classroom as the bell rang again. "You, sir, have an appointment with Headmaster Thomas. Come on, young man!"


	3. Meeting with the Headmaster

Headmaster Thomas entered his vast office after Daniel had been once again situated in one of the large leather chairs facing his mahogany desk. "My apologies, Mr. Jackson. I had hoped that we'd be able to have this discussion before you attended your first classes. Mrs. Johnson, though, indicated she had a very demanding schedule today and could not delay our conference. So, how were your first two classes?" Headmaster Thomas gazed at the young boy waiting for an answer.

Daniel attempted to keep his head up to respond to the question. "Good, sir. I think I like Professor Baird very much, sir." His indifference to Sister Mary Ignatius should not be revealed, he thought.

Headmaster Thomas chuckled at the response. "Then you might be the first student ever to admit that! You will find he is a strict grader and a tough teacher. Most of the students who come in here complaining about their teachers are his. Something about bringing down their averages." Headmaster Thomas grabbed a file out of his desk and his face turned serious. "So, I presume Mrs. McPherson explained your transportation situation and attendance policies?"

Daniel began to nod, but paused after a moment. "Mrs. McPherson did explain that the school and my grandfather arranged for a driver. She also explained that I'm responsible to get out of the house on time so that the driver isn't late dropping me off." Daniel dropped his head a bit. "She said though that I would not be punished for tardiness that I did not cause."

"Very good, Mr. Jackson. You are correct. You should not be punished for circumstances beyond your control. But you should be held accountable for circumstances you cause that would result in your tardiness. Now, technically this is not the responsibility of the school, but your particular situation demands a bit of extra attention. I have made personal guarantees to your grandfather that we will handle your education from here on out with the greatest of care, even if that means stepping into situations that family would otherwise handle. I'm also expecting extra diligence on your part." The headmaster stood up from behind his desk and sat next to Daniel in the other large leather chair. "Mrs. McPherson informs me you prefer to go by Daniel, is that correct, Mr. Jackson?" Daniel nodded with a small smile. At least he wouldn't have to explain that one again.

"Daniel, this may not be an easy discussion, but I need you to pay careful attention here." Daniel looked into his eyes and nodded, shifting to the side of his chair to get a better view without craning his neck. "It probably doesn't take much to guess that you are the only student here in the foster care system. The annual tuition alone supercedes whatever stipend your host family receives for your care. You are very lucky your grandfather is concerned for your education. I understand that public school hasn't been very kind to you, has it?" Daniel only shook his head in response, but the headmaster's silence demanded a verbal explanation.

"No, sir. I've changed schools every time I've been removed or placed into a home. Older kids don't like a geek like me in their classes. I never went to school when I was with my parents." Mr. Thomas regarded Daniel for a moment. He noticed that Daniel never talked about the physical altercations he was involved in, nor did he expound on the teachers who did nothing to stop the verbal abuse going on in their classrooms, both of which were noted by Mrs. Johnson that very morning.

"Daniel, you don't have to hide what happened from me. I've been fully informed by Mrs. Johnson on your case. I know about everything, even what happened two years ago at the Humanitarian and Social Sciences Library downtown. I want to be very clear with you. I want you to come and talk to me if you are ever uncomfortable with the way you are being treated by your classmates. Your advances in school make you an easy target, even for the young ladies and gentlemen here at St. Antholian's." Headmaster Thomas looked into Daniel's eyes to make sure he had his full and undivided attention. "I seriously doubt my students will try to harm you physically; we have strict standards of how our students are to behave. But that doesn't mean that envy may not strike down upon an unfortunate soul now and then. You are not the only student here who has skipped a grade. Several of our students have, in fact. You are the only to have passed over three, but as I will talk to you about in a moment, not all your classes are on a freshman level. We've specifically designed this curriculum to help you grow spiritually, physically, and intellectually."

Mr. Thomas handed a small packet of papers to Daniel, the first of which had his daily schedule. "Based on your records, we've placed you at grade level for Literature, Social Sciences, Biology, Catechism, and Mathematics. You will be joining other sixth graders for physical education, art and music. We've placed you in these three classes that we feel will help you better socialize with other students your age. Before you ask, Mr. Jackson," Headmaster Thomas raised a finger in expectation of an objection, "Your graduation does not depend on you taking extra classes in these subjects. They are required for each student every year, but they are not content specific." The headmaster smiled at Daniel's expression of relief. "This leaves us with Latin. As we are a Catholic school, we demand all of our students learn the language of the Church. As I have no records of you taking any formal classes in foreign languages, I've also placed you in Latin I, which is also at the sixth grade level. Extra classes will be necessary to have you graduate at grade level for this. I'm certain you are up to the challenge, Mr. Jackson."

Daniel thought of objecting; his mother had taught him quite a bit of Latin. She thought it was as necessary to know Latin and Greek, as it was Ancient Egyptian. She explained that the victors of war write history; and the Romans and the Greeks won many battles. Daniel did find it prudent to alert the headmaster to his familiarity though. "Headmaster, my mom did teach me some Latin when I was very young, but I don't know how much I know or if it is what you teach. She taught me parts of several languages; she was a linguist."

The professor gave Daniel a curious look. "I'm pleased to hear you at least know a little bit. But I still want you to start at the beginning and next Monday, after you've got a grasp at what level you might be at, we'll sit down with Sister Mary Alphonsus and determine where you really belong. Is that okay with you?" Daniel nodded, satisfied with the compromise. "While we are on languages, which ones are you fluent in, Mr. Jackson?"

Daniel's face lit up with the chance to really talk about his skills at language. "My parents raised me to speak Arabic in the household. My father was an Egyptologist, so we spent most of our time outside of Cairo. I learned Ancient Egyptian from their work on the archaeological digs at Sakkara and Memphis. We spent a summer in Athens when I was five, and we had a housemaid who introduced me to some Greek. Mother continued with it even after we left there. My parents spoke English, but I think they used it only when they didn't want me to know of what they are talking. I didn't really speak much of it until after their funeral." Daniel's head dropped again and he forced himself not to release the threatening tears.

Noticing the change in emotion in Daniel, Headmaster Thomas quickly returned the conversation to a more positive light. "So that makes, what, five languages, right? Arabic, Egyptian, Latin, Greek, and English." He counted out the list on his fingers. "I'm impressed Mr. Jackson! I can only speak four. French, Spanish, Latin, and English." He caught Daniel in a proud smile. "Are you interested in learning more languages? We only require Latin, but we do teach French and Spanish you can take as electives during your Junior and Senior year."

Daniel stared at him incredulously through his circled lenses. To think someone was already planning his education for future years was unheard of in public school. He wasn't in the same school long enough to think of his curriculum the following year. His heart leapt in anticipation of so many things, he couldn't catalog them all. And for the first time, Daniel was appreciative he had a grandfather again.

The bell for the end of the third period rang long before Headmaster Thomas had finished talking about everything he had on his agenda. Before shuffling Daniel out to his biology class, he requested another meeting at the end of the school day. "Mr. Jackson, I want to let you know ahead of time that this afternoon's meeting will be including a few faculty and staff members I want you to meet. As most of our students enter at the primary level, they work through the system learning this as they progress in their education. You are getting the quick and dirty introduction, so let me know if this is overwhelming for you at any time, okay?" Daniel nodded and thanked the headmaster for his time and ran off to his next class, book bag in tow. Daniel never noticed it directly, but the man to whom he just finished speaking didn't seem to be the same stern headmaster he met this morning. He wasn't nearly as nervous about meeting him again this afternoon as he was just an hour before.


	4. Sculpting Giza

To Daniel's relief, most of his classes were with the same students. This school was much smaller than any of the public schools he had attended, where he could expect to meet a new set of bullies in each class. His art and music classes were bundled together at the end of the school day, and Daniel was as nervous about being in classes with students his age as he was with students three years his senior. He'd never been in classes with kids his own age. He also found that these classes only had five or six students in them at a time, which allowed for personalized attention. Biology and math Daniel could handle, but this new situation for art and music was overwhelming him too much for his comfort.

He was awkwardly silent as he was introduced to the class, and hesitated from jumping into the clay-molding project. He distractedly shaped a pyramid out of the clay. Mrs. Bernard kneeled down beside him at the workbench at which he was stationed. "What are you making?" Her tone was geared towards sixth graders, and Daniel found it slightly patronizing.

"Oh, um…" Daniel stared at what he had created. "I guess I'm making the pyramids at Giza." He shrugged with a hint of apathy. His energy was flagging, and he knew his day wasn't nearly complete. He still had another meeting with the headmaster.

"Giza, eh? Shouldn't there be three pyramids then?" She tapped her shoulder to his, and he turned to face her.

"You know about Giza?" He asked with approbation. None of his other teachers had ever known anything about his homeland.

"You sound like you don't know anyone who's heard of Giza! Huh! So, tell me kind sir, how do you know about Giza, if it's such a big secret?" She smiled at him genuinely, trying desperately to open up to her. She managed to make him blush in embarrassment. Mrs. Bernard had a knack for engaging the silent kids and bringing them out of their shell, if not by art than by her personality.

"I was born in Egypt. I mostly lived there until I was eight with my parents. Cairo is my home. I plan to move back there after school, you know." He was fiddling once again with the clay, forming a second pyramid in the palms of his hands. The class was nearly over, and Mrs. Bernard took an extra moment to help Daniel wrap up his clay models in plastic and store them for next time. She also asked him to come up with a paragraph or two about Giza so he can share it with the rest of the class next week. Before the bell rang seconds later, he already had several thoughts about what he wanted to say.


	5. The End of the Day

Daniel once again found himself waiting outside the Headmaster's office. This time he no longer had the nervous energy from this morning. He was nearly drained of all of it, and leaned his head back against the wall, took off his glasses, and rested his weary eyes.

"Hey, kiddo, this seat taken?" Daniel was stirred awake by the blaring accent that assaulted his ears. An older gentleman in a black suit didn't wait for an answer to take the seat next to Daniel on the bench. "So, you must be Daniel." Daniel glared awkwardly at the man as he returned his glasses to his face, wondering how he knew his name. "I'm Rocco, by the way. Pleased to meet ya." He extended his hand to shake Daniel's, and while a hand was returned, the hesitation was obvious. "Oh, you don't know who I am, do ya? Your grandfather hired me. Nick got me this gig. Not bad, eh?" He glanced around the hallway, admiring the ornate decorations. "I'm your driver. You have the lucky pleasure of my company every morning and evening. You should consider yourself very honored!" Rocco nodded with his entire top half of his body, a broad grin split across his face.

Daniel's hesitation was one of instinct. No one had introduced Rocco as his driver. How was he to know whom to trust? Then he mentioned Nick. Curiosity won over, and Daniel immediately wanted to learn more about his absent grandfather. His inquiries would have to wait though. Mrs. McPherson interrupted the potential conversation. "Mr. Jackson, I see you've met your new driver! Very good. Mr. Sabitini, its very nice to see you again." She stared at the flagging boy. "The headmaster apologizes for the long wait this afternoon, he's handling a situation that came up that simply can't wait. In the meantime, is there anything you need Daniel?" The boy shook his head, his weariness obvious.

Mrs. McPherson shuffled into a back closet area and disappeared for several minutes. She only reappeared when her task was interrupted by a ringing telephone. Daniel noticed the conversation lasted only seconds with only a final affirmative from the secretary, and she returned to the closet.

She returned with a large canvas bag and moved it into the conference room across the hall. She immediately beckoned Daniel into the room as well.

"Mr. Jackson, I'm afraid Headmaster Thomas will not have the opportunity to finish his conversation with you this afternoon. He must take care of a situation first, and it could take quite a while." Daniel sank in a chair at the table while listening. "But some things cannot wait until tomorrow. So I'm going to go over them with you." Mrs. McPherson opened up the canvas sack to reveal the contents to Daniel. "Firstly, these are the rest of your school uniforms. There are four each of shirts and slacks. We've taken the liberty of including other essential items, such as socks and undershirts as well. Our uniform code ensures that students are paying attention to what matters in class, not the latest styles the popular students are wearing. Your grandfather has seen to it that we will assist you in any way we can, so if you need replacement items as you grow, you just let me know." Daniel turned beet red in embarrassment and dropped his head to his chest. Mrs. McPherson cupped his chin and met his eyes with hers. "I've raised six strapping young men, Mr. Jackson. Don't think I have a problem shopping for essential items. I expect you to come to me, you understand?" She was stern but warm-hearted. Daniel could only nod in agreement to her terms.

She dug deeper into the bag and pulled out a full gym uniform, complete with shorts, a t-shirt, sweatshirt and sweat pants. "There are two sets of sweatpants and two sweatshirts in here, and five pairs of shorts and shirts. You have physical education every day, and you will be responsible for bringing your gym uniform with you. Do you have appropriate athletic shoes at home?" A quick nod indicated that she could move forward. The next item shown to him was a small piece of paper. "Every student is assigned a locker adjacent to the gymnasium. I've seen to it that towels and toiletries are already stocked. This is your locker combination. Make sure you keep it safe!"

Daniel stared at the proffered slip of paper. He couldn't believe the lengths Mrs. McPherson seemed to have gone to for him. For him, of all people! The clothes, the accommodations, the promise of assistance; it all was too much. Mrs. McPherson continued in on her inventory and all he could do is try not to tear up. Mrs. McPherson accounted for everything. A school supply list was included in the stack of papers Headmaster Thomas had given him for his foster home to provide, but Mrs. McPherson made sure he had enough to get his studies started without delay.

He was so exhausted that he barely took notice of Mrs. McPherson's goodbyes and final words. He did catch that he had to be at school an hour earlier than usual to make up is appointment with the headmaster. Rocco led Daniel out to his black Rolls Royce and allowed Daniel to climb in to the front passenger seat. He took the book bag and canvas tote and piled them into the back.

The ride home wasn't long, only ten minutes by car in rush hour traffic. Rocco carried on a conversation one sided while Daniel sat his chin up next to the window and stared outwards. As they pulled up to the curb of Daniel's foster home, currently the Beckers, Rocco cleared his throat and faced towards Daniel. "Hey Kiddo, you okay?" Daniel remained silent but nodded, forcing a yawn that explained better than words could have. "You're the silent type, aren't you? Well, I'm not. I'm going to talk, and you'll get out of that shell of yours soon enough. So, lets get inside, shall we? I've still got to talk with your folks tonight." Daniel spun his head around in anxiety.

"You need to talk to the Beckers?" Daniel was already shaking his head nervously. "Um… I'm not sure that's a good idea. If they don't know you're coming, they might not want to talk to you." Rocco put a hand on Daniel's shoulder to calm him down.

"If you were my kid and someone was going to be driving you around to who knows where, I'd want to know who they are. I'm sure your folks want to know too. Plus, they need to know about you getting to school early tomorrow, remember?" Rocco's smile did not unnerve Daniel, but he allowed Rocco to persuade him that everything would be okay. Taking the bags in hand, Daniel and Rocco worked their way up to the third floor apartment. Daniel knocked on the door to Rocco's surprise. "What, you don't have a key?" Daniel's head was shaking no when Mrs. Becker opened up and ushered Daniel inside.

Mrs. Becker, a very stern woman, forced Rocco to introduce himself from the doorway before granting entrance. "There's a sandwich on the table. You may take it to your room and start your homework." Rocco overlooked Mrs. Becker's impersonal attitude she displayed towards Daniel and quickly explained his job and expectations with regards to Daniel.

"Normally, Daniel needs to be at school by 8:30, which means I need him ready to go by 8:10. Tomorrow though I need him ready by 7:10 as he's got a meeting with the headmaster tomorrow morning." Rocco was a bit taken back by the disdain Mrs. Becker's face glowered at the expectation that Daniel needed to be ready by so early.

"You hear that? You need to be out this door by seven tomorrow!" She shouted towards the hallway before returning her glare to Rocco. "Anything else you need, _sir_?" Her eyebrows arched and flattened in an angry stare at the interruption. With that, he bid his farewells and his anticipation for the morning.

As amazing as his first day of school was, the attitude and treatments the Beckers gave Daniel brought down his spirits. Already exhausted from the excitement of learning, He quietly obeyed the commands of his foster mother who gave no inclination she wanted to hear about Daniel's day. Rocco had noticed that Mrs. Becker didn't once use Daniel's name, even if Daniel hadn't.

At only seven o'clock, Daniel was ready to go to bed. He mentally checked off everything he was supposed to do. He had repacked his book bag with everything Mrs. McPherson gave him, along with the massive textbooks he'd received throughout the day. He had put away his spare uniforms and washed the one he had worn today. His room was cleaned and the dishes were done. He stretched himself out on his stomach and pulled a ragged notebook from under his bed. He flipped it open to a blank page and dated it. For the first time, though, Daniel didn't know where to start. Within minutes he was already asleep, pencil still in his hand and not a word on the page.


	6. Epilogue: The Next Morning

Daniel was already standing outside in the chilly September morning when Rocco pulled up to the curb, a bulging book bag in hand. As cold as he was, Daniel waited for Rocco to invite him into the car. "Well, look at you? You must be really ready to go then, hey Kiddo?" Daniel nodded with a polite smile. "You know, I would have gone up to collect you from the apartment?"

Daniel quickly jumped in with a response. "That's not a very good idea. I don't want to bother Mr. and Mrs. Becker so early in the morning. He doesn't come home until really late, and I don't want to wake him." Daniel hoped that he could avoid ever having to deal with Rocco knocking on the door. The Beckers were an okay family as far as Daniel was concerned. He didn't want to do anything to jeopardize his current situation.

Noting the sudden response, Rocco pulled back. "Okay Kiddo, but if you're not down here by 8:15 every morning, I'll come up and get you! We need to get out of here by 8:10, but I'll not go up to the apartment until you are at least five minutes late. Is that a deal?" Daniel nodded and exhaled deeply. He could live with that agreement. And with that nod, Rocco drove off towards St. Antholian's with his precious cargo in tow.


End file.
